Eryxias.docx
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Eryxias.docx
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Eryxias
EryxiasbyaPlatonicImitator(seeAppendixII)TranslatedbyBenjaminJowettAPPENDIXII.
ThetwodialogueswhicharetranslatedinthesecondappendixarenotmentionedbyAristotle,orbyanyearlyauthority,andhavenoclaimtobeascribedtoPlato.TheyareexamplesofPlatonicdialoguestobeassignedprobablytothesecondorthirdgenerationafterPlato,whenhiswritingswerewellknownatAthensandAlexandria.Theyexhibitconsiderableoriginality,andareremarkableforcontainingseveralthoughtsofthesortwhichwesupposetobemodernratherthanancient,andwhichthereforehaveapeculiarinterestforus.TheSecondAlcibiadesshowsthatthedifficultiesaboutprayerwhichhaveperplexedChristiantheologianswerenotunknownamongthefollowersofPlato.TheEryxiaswasdoubtedbytheancientsthemselves:
yetitmayclaimthedistinctionofbeing,amongallGreekorRomanwritings,theonewhichanticipatesinthemoststrikingmannerthemodernscienceofpoliticaleconomyandgivesanabstractformtosomeofitsprincipaldoctrines.
ForthetranslationofthesetwodialoguesIamindebtedtomyfriendandsecretary,Mr.Knight.
ThattheDialoguewhichgoesbythenameoftheSecondAlcibiadesisagenuinewritingofPlatowillnotbemaintainedbyanymoderncritic,andwashardlybelievedbytheancientsthemselves.Thedialecticispoorandweak.Thereisnopoweroverlanguage,orbeautyofstyle;andthereisacertainabruptnessandagroikiaintheconversation,whichisveryun-Platonic.Thebestpassageisprobablythataboutthepoets:
--theremarkthatthepoet,whoisofareserveddisposition,isuncommonlydifficulttounderstand,andtheridiculousinterpretationofHomer,areentirelyinthespiritofPlato(compareProtag;Ion;Apol.).Thecharactersareill-drawn.Socratesassumesthe'superiorperson'andpreachestoomuch,whileAlcibiadesisstupidandheavy-in-hand.TherearetracesofStoicinfluenceinthegeneraltoneandphraseologyoftheDialogue(compareoposmeleseitis...kaka:
otipasaphronmainetai):
andthewriterseemstohavebeenacquaintedwiththe'Laws'ofPlato(compareLaws).AnincidentfromtheSymposiumisratherclumsilyintroduced,andtwosomewhathackneyedquotations(Symp.,Gorg.)recur.ThereferencetothedeathofArchelausashavingoccurred'quitelately'isonlyafiction,probablysuggestedbytheGorgias,wherethestoryofArchelausistold,andasimilarphraseoccurs;--tagarechtheskaiproengegonotatauta,k.t.l.
Thereareseveralpassageswhichareeithercorruptorextremelyill-expressed.Butthereisamoderninterestinthesubjectofthedialogue;anditisagoodexampleofashortspuriouswork,whichmaybeattributedtothesecondorthirdcenturybeforeChrist.
ERYXIAS
byPlatonicImitator(seeAppendixIIabove)TranslatedbyBenjaminJowettINTRODUCTION.
MuchcannotbesaidinpraiseofthestyleorconceptionoftheEryxias.
Itisfrequentlyobscure;liketheexerciseofastudent,itisfullofsmallimitationsofPlato:
--PhaeaxreturningfromanexpeditiontoSicily(compareSocratesintheCharmidesfromthearmyatPotidaea),thefigureofthegameatdraughts,borrowedfromtheRepublic,etc.Ithasalsoinmanypassagestheringofsophistry.Ontheotherhand,theratherunhandsometreatmentwhichisexhibitedtowardsProdicusisquiteunliketheurbanityofPlato.
Yettherearesomepointsintheargumentwhicharedeservingofattention.
(1)Thatwealthdependsupontheneedofitordemandforit,isthefirstanticipationinanabstractformofoneofthegreatprinciplesofmodernpoliticaleconomy,andthenearestapproachtoittobefoundinanancientwriter.
(2)Theresolutionofwealthintoitssimplestimplementsgoingontoinfinityisasubtleandrefinedthought.(3)Thatwealthisrelativetocircumstancesisasoundconception.(4)Thattheartsandscienceswhichreceivepaymentarelikewisetobecomprehendedunderthenotionofwealth,alsotouchesaquestionofmodernpoliticaleconomy.(5)Thedistinctionofposthocandpropterhoc,oftenlostsightofinmodernaswellasinancienttimes.Thesemetaphysicalconceptionsanddistinctionsshowconsiderablepowerofthoughtinthewriter,whateverwemaythinkofhismeritsasanimitatorofPlato.
ERYXIAS
byPlatonicImitator(seeAppendixIIabove)TranslatedbyBenjaminJowettPERSONSOFTHEDIALOGUE:
Socrates,Eryxias,Erasistratus,Critias.
SCENE:
TheporticoofatempleofZeus.
IthappenedbychancethatEryxiastheSteirianwaswalkingwithmeinthePorticoofZeustheDeliverer,whentherecameuptousCritiasandErasistratus,thelatterthesonofPhaeax,whowasthenephewofErasistratus.NowErasistratushadjustarrivedfromSicilyandthatpartoftheworld.Astheyapproached,hesaid,Hail,Socrates!
SOCRATES:
Thesametoyou,Isaid;haveyouanygoodnewsfromSicilytotellus?
ERASISTRATUS:
Mostexcellent.But,ifyouplease,letusfirstsitdown;forIamtiredwithmyyesterday'sjourneyfromMegara.
SOCRATES:
Gladly,ifthatisyourdesire.
ERASISTRATUS:
Whatwouldyouwishtohearfirst?
hesaid.WhattheSiciliansaredoing,orhowtheyaredisposedtowardsourcity?
Tomymind,theyareverylikewasps:
solongasyouonlycausethemalittleannoyancetheyarequiteunmanageable;youmustdestroytheirnestsifyouwishtogetthebetterofthem.Andinasimilarway,theSyracusans,unlesswesettoworkinearnest,andgoagainstthemwithagreatexpedition,willneversubmittoourrule.Thepettyinjurieswhichweatpresentinflictmerelyirritatethemenoughtomakethemutterlyintractable.AndnowtheyhavesentambassadorstoAthens,andintend,Isuspect,toplayussometrick.--Whileweweretalking,theSyracusanenvoyschancedtogoby,andErasistratus,pointingtooneofthem,saidtome,That,Socrates,istherichestmaninallItalyandSicily.Forwhohaslargerestatesormorelandathisdisposaltocultivateifheplease?
Andtheyareofaquality,too,finerthananyotherlandinHellas.
Moreover,hehasallthethingswhichgotomakeupwealth,slavesandhorsesinnumerable,goldandsilverwithoutend.
Isawthathewasinclinedtoexpatiateontherichesoftheman;soIaskedhim,Well,Erasistratus,andwhatsortofcharacterdoeshebearinSicily?
ERASISTRATUS:
Heisesteemedtobe,andreallyis,thewickedestofalltheSiciliansandItalians,andevenmorewickedthanheisrich;indeed,ifyouweretoaskanySicilianwhomhethoughttobetheworstandtherichestofmankind,youwouldneverhearanyoneelsenamed.
Ireflectedthatwewerespeaking,notoftrivialmatters,butaboutwealthandvirtue,whicharedeemedtobeofthegreatestmoment,andIaskedErasistratuswhomheconsideredthewealthier,--hewhowasthepossessorofatalentofsilverorhewhohadafieldworthtwotalents?
ERASISTRATUS:
Theownerofthefield.
SOCRATES:
Andonthesameprinciplehewhohadrobesandbeddingandsuchthingswhichareofgreatervaluetohimthantoastrangerwouldbericherthanthestranger?
ERASISTRATUS:
True.
SOCRATES:
Andifanyonegaveyouachoice,whichofthesewouldyouprefer?
ERASISTRATUS:
Thatwhichwasmostvaluable.
SOCRATES:
Inwhichwaydoyouthinkyouwouldbethericher?
ERASISTRATUS:
BychoosingasIsaid.
SOCRATES:
Andheappearstoyoutobetherichestwhohasgoodsofthegreatestvalue?
ERASISTRATUS:
Hedoes.
SOCRATES:
Andarenotthehealthyricherthanthesick,sincehealthisapossessionmorevaluablethanrichestothesick?
Surelythereisnoonewhowouldnotprefertobepoorandwell,ratherthantohavealltheKingofPersia'swealthandtobeill.Andthisprovesthatmensethealthabovewealth,elsetheywouldneverchoosetheoneinpreferencetotheother.
ERASISTRATUS:
True.
SOCRATES:
Andifanythingappearedtobemorevaluablethanhealth,hewouldbetherichestwhopossessedit?
ERASISTRATUS:
Hewould.
SOCRATES:
Supposethatsomeonecametousatthismomentandweretoask,Well,SocratesandEryxiasandErasistratus,canyoutellmewhatisofthegreatestvaluetomen?
Isitnotthatofwhichthepossessionwillbestenableamantoadvisehowhisownandhisfriend'saffairsshouldbeadministered?
--Whatwillbeourreply?
ERASISTRATUS:
Ishouldsay,Socrates,thathappinesswasthemostpreciousofhumanpossessions.
SOCRATES:
Notabadanswer.Butdowenotdeemthosemenwhoaremostprosperoustobethehappiest?
ERASISTRATUS:
Thatismyopinion.
SOCRATES:
Andaretheynotmostprosperouswhocommitthefewesterrorsinrespecteitherofthemselvesorofothermen?
ERASISTRATUS:
Certainly.
SOCRATES:
Andtheywhoknowwhatisevilandwhatisgood;whatshouldbedoneandwhatshouldbeleftundone;--thesebehavethemostwiselyandmakethefewestmistakes?
Erasistratusagreedtothis.
SOCRATES:
Thenthewisestandthosewhodobestandthemostfortunateandtherichestwouldappeartobealloneandthesame,ifwisdomisreallythemostvaluableofourpossessions?
Yes,saidEryxias,interposing,butwhatusewoulditbeifamanhadthewisdomofNestorandwantedthenecessariesoflife,foodanddrinkandclothesandthelike?
Wherewouldbetheadvantageofwisdomthen?
Orhowcouldhebetherichestofmenwhomightevenhavetogobegging,becausehehadnotwherewithaltolive?
IthoughtthatwhatEryxiaswassayinghadsomeweight,andIreplied,Wouldthewisemanreallysufferinthisway,ifheweresoill-provided;whereasifhehadthehouseofPolytion,andthehousewerefullofgoldandsilver,hewouldlacknothing?
ERYXIAS:
Yes;forthenhemightdisposeofhispropertyandobtaininexchangewhatheneeded,orhemightsellitformoneywithwhichhecouldsupplyhiswantsandinamomentprocureabundanceofeverything.
SOCRATES:
True
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